The third major of the year, the 2025 U.S. Open, is about to begin at Oakmont. Among the large field of top pros and amateurs are 14 LIV Golf players, two fewer than the number of LIV pros in the field at the PGA Championship last month.
While Bryson DeChambeau, this week’s defending champion, is the obvious headliner as he seeks his third U.S. Open title, LIV Golf has plenty of other star power.
Here’s a breakdown of each LIV Golfer in this week’s field, how they earned their spot and what’s at stake for them this week.
Jose Luis Ballestar: The reigning U.S. Amateur champion and recent Arizona State graduate declined his Korn Ferry Tour membership earned through the PGA Tour U program and decided to join LIV Golf last week. A recent change to U.S. Open exemptions within the past five years allows the U.S. Amateur winner to maintain his exemption even if he turns pro.
Richard Bland: Bland won the U.S. Senior Open last year at Newport C.C. in Rhode Island to earn his spot. The 52-year-old is one of two LIV seniors (Mickelson) in the field and is 21st in LIV Golf standings this season.
Bryson DeChambeau: The defending champion needs little introduction as LIV’s top-ranked player in the world. He’s won once this season on LIV and has finished T6 or better in five out of the last six majors.
Tyrrell Hatton: The fiery Englishman has maintained his position in the top-60 of the Official World Golf Ranking to earn a spot at Oakmont through his stellar play on the DP World Tour, including two wins since September that brought him back into the top-10 in January
Dustin Johnson: Johnson won the last time the Open was held at Oakmont to earn his first major title, but the nine years since then feels like a long time. Johnson has hardly looked like himself the last two years, missing five of his last seven major cuts and ranking 27th in LIV’s individual standings this season.
Brooks Koepka: Koepka was LIV Golf’s undisputed top dog two years ago when he won his fifth major at Oak Hill, but he hasn’t finished better than T17 in a major since the 2023 PGA and has missed both cuts at the Masters and PGA this year.
Jinichiro Kozuma: A recent LIV addition, Kozuma advanced to the U.S. Open through final qualifying.
Marc Leishman: Leishman has played well on LIV Golf this season, winning earlier this year in Miami, and is one of three LIV golfers to make it through final qualifying to earn their place in the U.S. Open field.
Phil Mickelson: Lefty is still searching for the U.S. Open as the final piece of his career Grand Slam. The soon-to-be 55-year-old has hinted that this could be his final U.S. Open as his exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship runs out after this year.
Joaquin Niemann: While DeChambeau is LIV’s top player, none is hotter than Niemann, who has won four of eight LIV events this season. Niemann, 26, earned his first career major top-10 at the PGA Championship last month and seems poised to add a big one to his trophy case this week. He earned an exemption as the top LIV Golfer not otherwise qualified.
Carlos Ortiz: A member of Niemann’s Torque GC LIV team, Ortiz also advanced through qualifying.
Jon Rahm: Rahm has played much better since last year’s U.S. Open, which he was forced to miss with a foot injury. The 2021 champion nearly took the trophy at the PGA Championship, taking the lead on the back nine, before a go-for-broke strategy cost him down the stretch. He has never finished outside the top-10 in any of his LIV Golf starts since joining the league last season.
Patrick Reed: After missing this tournament and the Open Championship last year, Reed quietly snuck his way back in the OWGR top 60 thanks to his third-place showing at the Masters. The 2018 Green Jacket winner didn’t fare as well at Quail Hollow, missing the cut, and is 18th in LIV Golf’s season standings this year.
Cameron Smith: Since his T6 finish at the 2024 Masters, the 2022 Champion Golfer of the year hasn’t finished better than T32 in a major and has missed the last three cuts. He is 20th LIV’s 2025 standings.
